Abstract
Background:
While Campylobacter jejuni represents the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections are very rarely diagnosed in adults.
Case:
We report on a previously healthy patient who presented several times at our hospital with fever, Guillain-Barré syndrome, recurrent abdominal symptoms and distinct mesenteric lymphadenopathy, respectively. This complicated and diagnostically challenging course of disease was caused by a C. jejuni and Y. pseudotuberculosis coinfection. Antibiotic treatment with doxycycline was effective.
Conclusion:
Broad serology testing was crucial to discover that two concomitant infections were causing the symptoms. This case demonstrates that when a clinical picture is not fully explained by one known infection, another infection with the same underlying risk factor has to be considered, hence "a horse and a zebra".
Keywords:
Campylobacter jejuni; Guillain-Barré syndrome; Mesenteric lymphadenitis; Mesenteric lymphadenopathy; Pseudoappendicitis; Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
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Campylobacter Infections / diagnosis*
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Campylobacter Infections / diagnostic imaging
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Campylobacter Infections / drug therapy
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Campylobacter Infections / microbiology
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Campylobacter jejuni / isolation & purification
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Coinfection / diagnosis*
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Coinfection / diagnostic imaging
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Coinfection / drug therapy
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Coinfection / microbiology
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Doxycycline / therapeutic use
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Fever / microbiology
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Gastrointestinal Diseases / diagnosis*
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Gastrointestinal Diseases / diagnostic imaging
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Gastrointestinal Diseases / drug therapy
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Gastrointestinal Diseases / microbiology
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Germany
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Guillain-Barre Syndrome / diagnosis*
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Guillain-Barre Syndrome / diagnostic imaging
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Guillain-Barre Syndrome / microbiology
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Humans
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Lymphadenopathy / diagnosis
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Lymphadenopathy / microbiology
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Male
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Recurrence
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Treatment Outcome
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Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / isolation & purification
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Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / diagnosis*
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Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / diagnostic imaging
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Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / drug therapy
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Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / microbiology
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Doxycycline